Akira Yamaoka has left an indelible mark on the survival horror genre. His work on the Silent Hill franchise helped elevate the early games in the series to the status they’ve achieve today. When I look back at the glory days of the survival horror genre, the first three Silent Hill games immediately come to mind, and a large part of that is thanks to their one-of-a-kind, haunting and thoroughly unforgettable soundtracks.
Yamaoka worked on seven entries in the series, including every Silent Hill up to Shattered Memories which released in 2009, the same year he resigned from Konami. He also composed the score for Shadows of the Damned, the hugely underrated survival horror collaboration between Yamaoka, Shinji Mikami, and Suda 51.
This is a guy worth celebrating. If you’re a fan of survival horror, Yamaoka has had a very real and substantial impact on this genre. If you’re in any way unfamiliar with him, or would simply like to get to know him a little better, I highly recommend you read this interview.
Also worth checking out? Our Silent Hill Showdown.
